Makes:
16 servings
Total Time:
1 hr 40 min
Submitted by:
Category:
Desserts
Sub Category: Cheesecakes
what you need
- 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafers (about 45)
- 2 Tbsp. + 1 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
make it
Position racks in center and lower third of oven. Place roasting pan on lower rack: fill halfway with water. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease 9"x3" springform pan. In food processor, pulse cookies and 2 Tbsp. sugar until ground. Stir in butter. Press into pan.
On medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then cream, flour and vanilla. Pour into pan.
Bake on center rack 1 hour 15 minutes, or until center jiggles slightly. Turn off oven. Let stand in oven with door closed 1 hour. Run knife around edge of pan. Cool on rack. Chill overnight. Remove side of pan.
Notes
Cheesecakes don't like drafts, but if it cracks you can always cover the top with a can of cherry pie filling and remember, Mom won a blue ribbon at the fair with a cracked cheesecake!
To make a chocolate-covered cherry version: Substitute 24 chocolate wafer cookies for vanilla wafers. Toss 1 cup maraschino cherries (chopped and patted dry) with additional 1 Tbsp. flour. Reduce cream to 1/2 cup: Substitute 1 tsp. almond extract for vanilla. Stir 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice and 10 drops red liquid food coloring into batter, then stir in cherry mixture. Bake and cool as directed. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp. hot fudge sundae topping. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate dipped maraschino cherries.
